Preview — Resolution
by Robert B. Parker

The New York Times—bestselling author’s richly imagined work of historical fiction: a powerful tale of the Old West from the acknowledged master of crime fiction.I had an eight-gauge shotgun that I’d taken with me when I left Wells Fargo. It didn’t take too long for things to develop. I sat in the tall lookout chair in the back of the saloon with the shotgun in my lap forThe New York Times—bestselling author’s richly imagined work of historical fiction: a powerful tale of the Old West from the acknowledged master of crime fiction.I had an eight-gauge shotgun that I’d taken with me when I left Wells Fargo. It didn’t take too long for things to develop. I sat in the tall lookout chair in the back of the saloon with the shotgun in my lap for two peaceful nights. On my third night it was different. I could almost smell trouble beginning to cook.

After the bloody confrontation in Appaloosa, Everett Hitch heads into the afternoon sun and ends up in Resolution, an Old West town so new the dust has yet to settle. It’s the kind of town that doesn’t have much in the way of commerce, except for a handful of saloons and some houses of ill repute. Hitch takes a job as a lookout at Amos Wolfson’s Blackfoot Saloon and quickly establishes his position as protector of the ladies who work the back rooms–as well as a man unafraid to stand up to the enforcer sent down from the O’Malley copper mine.

Though Hitch makes short work of hired gun Koy Wickman, tensions continue to mount, so that even the self-assured Hitch is relieved by the arrival in town of his friend Virgil Cole. When greedy mine owner Eamon O’Malley threatens the loose coalition of local ranchers and starts buying up Resolution’s few businesses, Hitch and Cole find themselves in the middle of a makeshift war between O’Malley’s men and the ranchers. In a place where law and order don’t exist, Hitch and Cole must make their own, guided by their sense of duty, honor, and friendship.

In this one, Robert B. Parker unsuccessfully tries to squeeze Spenser’s man code into cowboy britches and a ten gallon hat. This was probably written during Parker’s “fallow” period. Most things that became nauseating with his detective fiction around that time – formulaic plotting, slow plodding story, hackneyed characterizations – bleed into this turn at a western. Every time I read the clipped, macho pro-forma dialogue I thought: HawkYee Haw!! Spenser, the detective, goes West!

Or so it seems.

In this one, Robert B. Parker unsuccessfully tries to squeeze Spenser’s man code into cowboy britches and a ten gallon hat. This was probably written during Parker’s “fallow” period. Most things that became nauseating with his detective fiction around that time – formulaic plotting, slow plodding story, hackneyed characterizations – bleed into this turn at a western. Every time I read the clipped, macho pro-forma dialogue I thought: Hawk, Spenser, Coalition of Bruisers with Boundaries.

“Ain’t we got unwritten manly rules ‘bout this here killin' thing?”

“Yep.”

If you want a better book featuring these characters pick up Appaloosa, which was made into a decent movie. If you want to read a great western, go get Lonesome Dove.

And thanks for not bringing along the malnourished, Harvard educated, psychiatrist girlfriend character....more

Parker is just repeating himself in his mysteries and westerns by rehashing the same tired macho characters who live by the gunman's code that anyone who has read anything he's done in the last 20 years knows by heart. Even worse, the ending of Apaloosa was the first halfway original thing he'd done in years, and he reverses it in this book to get everything back to his usual baseline. Whatever happened to the guy who wrote the first dozen or so Spenser novels? Oh, and he really needs to drop thParker is just repeating himself in his mysteries and westerns by rehashing the same tired macho characters who live by the gunman's code that anyone who has read anything he's done in the last 20 years knows by heart. Even worse, the ending of Apaloosa was the first halfway original thing he'd done in years, and he reverses it in this book to get everything back to his usual baseline. Whatever happened to the guy who wrote the first dozen or so Spenser novels? Oh, and he really needs to drop the repeated story about a flawed woman that a character loves. ...more

I'm enjoying this series. Here we build on the way the last book ended (also of course building on the events in the last book).

Everett having ridden out of Appaloosa after taking a certain precipitous action on behalf of his friend Virgil opens the book by taking a job in a saloon as a "lookout" (read bouncer...except bouncers here can end up having to shoot a troublemaker).

From there things begin to spin. Of course Virgil does show up...violence ensues as do moral quandaries.

(Yes in case youI'm enjoying this series. Here we build on the way the last book ended (also of course building on the events in the last book).

Everett having ridden out of Appaloosa after taking a certain precipitous action on behalf of his friend Virgil opens the book by taking a job in a saloon as a "lookout" (read bouncer...except bouncers here can end up having to shoot a troublemaker).

From there things begin to spin. Of course Virgil does show up...violence ensues as do moral quandaries.

(Yes in case you think I missed it because i didn't mention it in my last review I get the double meaning in the title[s]).

Anyway, excellent read. The dialogue is terse and direct (as befits a western). Some of our characters are of course talkers, but our heroes are mostly men of few words. I don't mind the way that works and I'm enjoying these.

Audiobook: Excellent western following Appaloosa in the Hitch/Cole series. I especially love the cadence of Parker’s writing that is very similar to his Jesse Stone series, one of my Stone’s favorites. Hitch, who resembles Stone in many ways, has arrived at the town of Resolution where he takes the job of ‘lookout’ in a saloon/whorehouse. He establishes his credentials very soon by killing the local gunfighter and then, to his employer’s consternation begins defending the local whores from bruteAudiobook: Excellent western following Appaloosa in the Hitch/Cole series. I especially love the cadence of Parker’s writing that is very similar to his Jesse Stone series, one of my Stone’s favorites. Hitch, who resembles Stone in many ways, has arrived at the town of Resolution where he takes the job of ‘lookout’ in a saloon/whorehouse. He establishes his credentials very soon by killing the local gunfighter and then, to his employer’s consternation begins defending the local whores from brutes, several of whom are “important” people.

It gets complicated when the saloon’s owner, who also owns the general store, begins to close out on some homesteaders whose debts have become intolerable. He wants their land. And then the local mine owner hires two gunslingers and *he* wants the saloon.

Hitch and Cole are not your average gunslingers. Hitch a graduate of West Point and Cole occasionally talks about John Locke. “The law is a contract between government and the people, so when we was the law in Appaloosa were we the government or the people?” asks Cole of Hitch. Good question. The issue arises once again in Resolution.

I dont read a lot of westerns but I may start. I enjoyed the descriptions of Virgil, his uncanniness, his intensity and strangely enough, his code of justice and noblesse oblige. Several aspects of the book stand out: the portrayal of gunmen not as psychotic serial killers but as men laboring in a trade. As per their job, they acquire a set of skills and abilities, but also unseen scars and handicaps. I found this aspect fascinating because Parker eschews both the standard macho man mystique andI dont read a lot of westerns but I may start. I enjoyed the descriptions of Virgil, his uncanniness, his intensity and strangely enough, his code of justice and noblesse oblige. Several aspects of the book stand out: the portrayal of gunmen not as psychotic serial killers but as men laboring in a trade. As per their job, they acquire a set of skills and abilities, but also unseen scars and handicaps. I found this aspect fascinating because Parker eschews both the standard macho man mystique and the wounded victims creating more victims route. Instead what he offers up is an analysis of men who have had to survive and this is their chosen route. One of the more charming aspects of the book is the way Virgil muses over the books he reads: Locke, Rousseau, Emerson. In an interesting inversion I found at first this implausible, but the reality was such books were often available in this era and everyday people read them. An underlying theme to the book was the place of law and the role of lawmen. Where does the law end and the human being emerge? A question Virgil chews over like a wad of tobacco, badgering his amialbe and reliable partner Everett Hitch. A buddy novel, an adventure, a traditional old west tale of big greedy bosses, little sodbusters, and hired gunmen. But some intelligent spins and surprises. ...more

I'm enjoying this series. Here we build on the way the last book ended (also of course building on the events in the last book).

Everett having ridden out of Appaloosa after taking a certain precipitous action on behalf of his friend Virgil opens the book by taking a job in a saloon as a "lookout" (read bouncer...except bouncers here can end up having to shoot a troublemaker).

From there things begin to spin. Of course Virgil does show up...violence ensues as do moral quandaries.

(Yes in case youI'm enjoying this series. Here we build on the way the last book ended (also of course building on the events in the last book).

Everett having ridden out of Appaloosa after taking a certain precipitous action on behalf of his friend Virgil opens the book by taking a job in a saloon as a "lookout" (read bouncer...except bouncers here can end up having to shoot a troublemaker).

From there things begin to spin. Of course Virgil does show up...violence ensues as do moral quandaries.

(Yes in case you think I missed it because i didn't mention it in my last review I get the double meaning in the title[s]).

Anyway, excellent read. The dialogue is terse and direct (as befits a western). Some of our characters are of course talkers, but our heroes are mostly men of few words. I don't mind the way that works and I'm enjoying these.

Unlike most middle books in a trilogy, which are usually the weakest of the whole, this book -- the middle book in the Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch trilogy -- is the strongest of Parker's western trilogy, all three of which are so enjoyable that I read each in a single sitting.

I didn't actually know that Robert B. Parker had written a sequel to Appaloosa until my father told me he read this book, and mentioned how much he liked Virgil Cole's character, which made me realize it must be related to ApUnlike most middle books in a trilogy, which are usually the weakest of the whole, this book -- the middle book in the Virgil Cole/Everett Hitch trilogy -- is the strongest of Parker's western trilogy, all three of which are so enjoyable that I read each in a single sitting.

I didn't actually know that Robert B. Parker had written a sequel to Appaloosa until my father told me he read this book, and mentioned how much he liked Virgil Cole's character, which made me realize it must be related to Appaloosa in some way....more

Nathan HenrionI think its interesting how you felt (as I did) that this was the strongest out of the series. For me, it was Cato and Rose who made this one so bad aI think its interesting how you felt (as I did) that this was the strongest out of the series. For me, it was Cato and Rose who made this one so bad ass....more
Sep 08, 2010 02:16PM

This isn't a book I read; it is a book I 'listened." I'm doing more of that as I spend more time driving across Snoqualmie Pass to Yakima from the west side. I enjoy Robert B. Parker's Spenser series, and this is the first Western I have read by him, and he won't replace Louis L'Amour, because even his good women use bad language, but I thoroughly enjoyed the listen. I'll see now if I can get the first one, Apaloosa, now that I know there was a first one.

RobUntil I joined GoodReads, I didn't even know Robert Parker wrote westerns. Everytime somebody mentions his name, Spenser and Hawk always comes to mindUntil I joined GoodReads, I didn't even know Robert Parker wrote westerns. Everytime somebody mentions his name, Spenser and Hawk always comes to mind. I've only started reading Resolution, haven't read Appaloosa and I can already see the similarity in Hitch and Cole to Spenser and Hawk. I really enjoyed the early Spenser novels, but I'm getting ambivalent about the newer ones.Although I grew up with Zane Grey's books, Louis L'Amour was one of my favorite Western story teller. Are you familiar with his Sackett series?...more
Feb 08, 2009 03:36PM

MaryL'Amour's Sacketts are classic! I used to read them with my husband. In L'Amour's westerns his characters are always moving "swiftly." We were tickledL'Amour's Sacketts are classic! I used to read them with my husband. In L'Amour's westerns his characters are always moving "swiftly." We were tickled by how often that word showed up!...more
Mar 29, 2013 06:04PM

Well, you know what you're getting when you read a Robert B. Parker story: honorable manly men, dickface villains, quickity-quick dialogue and unmarried but oddly committed boy-girl relationships. Resolution wasn't exactly RBP's last nove but it certainly feels like he knew the reaper was coming, because it's concentrated Robert B., almost to the point of caricature. It's like he had to get it all out of his system before he went to see the great approver of complicated monogamy in the sky.

I likWell, you know what you're getting when you read a Robert B. Parker story: honorable manly men, dickface villains, quickity-quick dialogue and unmarried but oddly committed boy-girl relationships. Resolution wasn't exactly RBP's last nove but it certainly feels like he knew the reaper was coming, because it's concentrated Robert B., almost to the point of caricature. It's like he had to get it all out of his system before he went to see the great approver of complicated monogamy in the sky.

I like Cole & Hitch. I enjoyed Appaloosa when it came out, but I don't remember Hitch having such a blatant hardon for Cole back then. Sometimes this fucker is a borderline romance novel.Not that there's anything WRONG with that...It's just forced as hell sometimes in Resolution. ...more

This is the tale of two gun-men. But they aren't like your average gun-men, they have high morals and integrity. Hitch went to West Point and is quite well read. Virgil was a lawman at one time.

Hitch takes a job in the new town of Resolution working for Amos Wolfson as a lookout at the Blackfoot Saloon. Wolfson owns the store, the hotel, pretty much most of the town. Eamon O'Malley owns the coppermine and a saloon across the street. Stark owns the lumber mill. Wolfson wants it all. The local ranThis is the tale of two gun-men. But they aren't like your average gun-men, they have high morals and integrity. Hitch went to West Point and is quite well read. Virgil was a lawman at one time.

Hitch takes a job in the new town of Resolution working for Amos Wolfson as a lookout at the Blackfoot Saloon. Wolfson owns the store, the hotel, pretty much most of the town. Eamon O'Malley owns the coppermine and a saloon across the street. Stark owns the lumber mill. Wolfson wants it all. The local ranchers owe their souls to his 'company' store and he is taking their land in payment for their debts. O'Malley brings in 2 gunmen of his own as he wants the whole town for himself too. There is no law and order in this town yet. As tensions build Virgil Cole, Hitches friend, arrives and stays to help Hitch. As Wolfson gets greedier and greedier he asks the men to do things they don't believe are right. So we have the feud between O'Malley and Wolfson, and Wolfson and the ranchers. Oh and some Shoshoni Indians have escaped from the reservation! Lots of action in this western! I did enjoy it although it did have a lot of swearing which I don't really like but my library doesn't have a really good selection of audio books so what's a girl to do?...more

If only Goodreads had negative stars. One star just seems so generous for this piece of garbage. I started listening to this book looking for an easy fun novel after plodding through the biography, Washington - A Life. I really enjoy a Louis L'Amour from time to time, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Huge mistake. I didn't make it very far. This book is bad. The characters are so stereotypical it is comical. The conversation is just painful. Parker fills pages with "yep", "guess so", "I suppose"If only Goodreads had negative stars. One star just seems so generous for this piece of garbage. I started listening to this book looking for an easy fun novel after plodding through the biography, Washington - A Life. I really enjoy a Louis L'Amour from time to time, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Huge mistake. I didn't make it very far. This book is bad. The characters are so stereotypical it is comical. The conversation is just painful. Parker fills pages with "yep", "guess so", "I suppose", etc. etc. And he ends almost every sentence with "he said". Try listening to an audiobook where the reader says "he said" every 4 seconds. Trying to listen to this on audiobook was mindnumbing. And then to top it off, after about 2 very short chapters the language just turned foul. Very unnecessarily foul. I had to stop and delete. This one is an absolute waste of time. It will pain your mind and polute your spirit - stay away....more

The sequel to Appaloosa finds Everett Hitch working in a saloon for a man named Wolfson, who is called in various places a SOB, so he is well named. After Hitch cleans up the town, Wolfson a petty dictator found in many a Western novel, finds himself in a war for control with both a mine owner and some homestteaders. On the arrival of Virgil Cole, the action heats up a little.

In hard cover the book has barely enough words on a page to spend more than a day reading it. The laconic dialogue and taThe sequel to Appaloosa finds Everett Hitch working in a saloon for a man named Wolfson, who is called in various places a SOB, so he is well named. After Hitch cleans up the town, Wolfson a petty dictator found in many a Western novel, finds himself in a war for control with both a mine owner and some homestteaders. On the arrival of Virgil Cole, the action heats up a little.

In hard cover the book has barely enough words on a page to spend more than a day reading it. The laconic dialogue and talk of the gunman reading philosphy and political theory is text book western lore. Parker adds in small common curse words and has more talk of prositutes and women in his story than in the typical LaMour book.

I found the endless dialogue fun to read but the book itself was underwhelming....more

I liked this better than his Spencer books! Too bad there's only 3 in this series. Being an Arizona native I tried for years to get into Western novels. I tried Louis L'Amour, didn't care for it. Figured Zane Grey had that Arizona connection, didn't do it for me. I even tried Tony Hillerman for something more contemporary, just didn't seem to click for me. But Resolution was a blast. Shallow? Predictable? Male, macho, misogynist? Maybe, sorta, sometimes, but you know what? I loved it. Tight, dirI liked this better than his Spencer books! Too bad there's only 3 in this series. Being an Arizona native I tried for years to get into Western novels. I tried Louis L'Amour, didn't care for it. Figured Zane Grey had that Arizona connection, didn't do it for me. I even tried Tony Hillerman for something more contemporary, just didn't seem to click for me. But Resolution was a blast. Shallow? Predictable? Male, macho, misogynist? Maybe, sorta, sometimes, but you know what? I loved it. Tight, direct, just enough humor, plenty of action, characters that are introspective and reflective but not neurotic and who care about each other and looking out for the little-guy.

The perfect summer escape for any grown up who used to be a little kid who wanted to grow up to be a cowboy....more

A friend handed this book off to me a few weeks ago, knowing that I am a big book lover. I'd never read a Western before but considered it a challenge and gave it a shot. I'm really glad that I did. "Resolution" is a story that examines morality through the eyes of a lawless Western town.

Parker is sparing in his words but there was something about the simplicity of the writing style that lended itself to the story. I especially liked the two main characters, Everett and Virgil, who act as the mA friend handed this book off to me a few weeks ago, knowing that I am a big book lover. I'd never read a Western before but considered it a challenge and gave it a shot. I'm really glad that I did. "Resolution" is a story that examines morality through the eyes of a lawless Western town.

Parker is sparing in his words but there was something about the simplicity of the writing style that lended itself to the story. I especially liked the two main characters, Everett and Virgil, who act as the moral center of a small community. From what I understand, a movie has been made based on the prequel to this book. I'm excited to see the characters come to life on screen. ...more

Published by Random House Audio in 2008Read by Titus WelliverDuration: 4 hours, 40 minutesUnabridged

At the end of Appaloosa, the first book in this series, Hitch and Cole have parted ways. Hitch ends up in the town of Resolution, a mining/lumbering town with some small unsuccessful ranches/farms scattered around.

Hitch is hired by the owner of a local hotel/saloon to keep the peace inside the saloon. Soon enough, Cole shows up. He is on the outs with his girlfriend agaiA Review of the Audiobook

Published by Random House Audio in 2008Read by Titus WelliverDuration: 4 hours, 40 minutesUnabridged

At the end of Appaloosa, the first book in this series, Hitch and Cole have parted ways. Hitch ends up in the town of Resolution, a mining/lumbering town with some small unsuccessful ranches/farms scattered around.

Hitch is hired by the owner of a local hotel/saloon to keep the peace inside the saloon. Soon enough, Cole shows up. He is on the outs with his girlfriend again. She has issues - she just has to throw herself at the most powerful man in the room and Cole had finally had enough of it and killed a man she was with. For Cole, this is devastating. He has always followed the law, even if it is arbitrary law that he has written himself. Killing this man broke the law and Cole is now a man who cannot follow his own code. So, Cole just hangs out with Hitch and ponders the meaning of laws and rules and the Social Contract for half of the book.

In the meantime, Hitch is offered the chance to switch sides in a range war that is just beginning to start. It will be the miners vs. the lumberjacks vs. the ranchers/farmers vs. the hotel/saloon owners and Hitch has to decide where he is going and Cole has to work his way through his issues before the lead starts to fly...

Second in Robert B. Parker's series of Cole & Hitch westerns (after "Appaloosa"). An enjoyably low-key tale of two gunslingers who don't look for trouble but deal with it efficiently when it finds them.

Best things about the book: the friendship between laconic partners Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole, and their warily respectful relationship with another pair of hired guns after they all end up working as enforcers for two rival creeps vying for control of the miserable little town of ResolutiSecond in Robert B. Parker's series of Cole & Hitch westerns (after "Appaloosa"). An enjoyably low-key tale of two gunslingers who don't look for trouble but deal with it efficiently when it finds them.

Best things about the book: the friendship between laconic partners Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole, and their warily respectful relationship with another pair of hired guns after they all end up working as enforcers for two rival creeps vying for control of the miserable little town of Resolution.

The plot is minimalist and uncluttered, which isn't a bad thing -- although nothing unexpected really happens. Other characters are drawn in broad strokes, enough so you understand who they are and why they do what they do. I'd have given the book 5 stars if Parker had fleshed out the characters to make them more unique and interesting, and if the story had delivered a few surprises along the way.

This is the same Robert parker who wrote the Spenser detective series. this is a western not a detective story.

There is a distinct similarity between Everett Hicks and Spenser as to personality and repartee. Hicks relationship with Virgil Cole bears a striking similarity to the relationship Spenser shared with Hawk. Despite the similarities I still really enjoyed the story. it is a stereotypical western theme of greed and corruption. A town needs cleaned up and HiResolution by Robert b. Parker

This is the same Robert parker who wrote the Spenser detective series. this is a western not a detective story.

There is a distinct similarity between Everett Hicks and Spenser as to personality and repartee. Hicks relationship with Virgil Cole bears a striking similarity to the relationship Spenser shared with Hawk. Despite the similarities I still really enjoyed the story. it is a stereotypical western theme of greed and corruption. A town needs cleaned up and Hicks and Cole tackle the job with some unlikely allies.

This is a very quick read so if you are going to the beach take an extra book.

These books aren't high art, but boy was this fun to read! One of the things that makes Parker enjoyable when he's firing on all cylinders are the relationships between his lead characters. I completely believe in Cole and Hitch's friendship. I loved the addition of the darker take on the pair in Cato and Rose. Most of all, I loved that this was a consistent plot that was never over-complicated. While it's definitely in the same class of stories as Red Harvest and even Parker's own Potshot, therThese books aren't high art, but boy was this fun to read! One of the things that makes Parker enjoyable when he's firing on all cylinders are the relationships between his lead characters. I completely believe in Cole and Hitch's friendship. I loved the addition of the darker take on the pair in Cato and Rose. Most of all, I loved that this was a consistent plot that was never over-complicated. While it's definitely in the same class of stories as Red Harvest and even Parker's own Potshot, there's enough new here to not feel like a copy of those stories. If you like Parker, try this series out....more

Wish Parker was still around - I do like his writing - especially his wit. In this tale, he brings back Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. With guns blazing, the two take on lots of bad guys (shooting most they encounter), rescue women from harm, battle rogue Indians, and help the farmers fight to hold on to their land. Okay, it's a potpourri of western action, but the best part is the dialog between Everett and Cole. I have one more Robert B. Parker western to read, then I will just have to move onWish Parker was still around - I do like his writing - especially his wit. In this tale, he brings back Everett Hitch and Virgil Cole. With guns blazing, the two take on lots of bad guys (shooting most they encounter), rescue women from harm, battle rogue Indians, and help the farmers fight to hold on to their land. Okay, it's a potpourri of western action, but the best part is the dialog between Everett and Cole. I have one more Robert B. Parker western to read, then I will just have to move on - or maybe re-read some of the 40 plus novels by Parker I have read before....more

Another western by Robert Parker, and this one is almost as fun to read as Appaloosa was. It has the same two great main characters. Virgil who doesn’t say much and is trying to figure out what is honorable and/or legal, and Everett who is loyal to Virgil no matter what happens.

Everett comes to Resolution after the events in the last book. He’s quickly recruited to help keep the peace by a man who seems to own everything and everyone in town. This pays the bills, and gives him something to do, bAnother western by Robert Parker, and this one is almost as fun to read as Appaloosa was. It has the same two great main characters. Virgil who doesn’t say much and is trying to figure out what is honorable and/or legal, and Everett who is loyal to Virgil no matter what happens.

Everett comes to Resolution after the events in the last book. He’s quickly recruited to help keep the peace by a man who seems to own everything and everyone in town. This pays the bills, and gives him something to do, but it starts to turn bad quickly when people start to lose their property and can no longer afford food for their families.

Virgil comes to town to help, and they’re forced to decide whether they go along with their employer, or change loyalties and start to help everyone else.

Just like the last book with these characters, this one is a quick read. The story is simple, and the dialogue is usually snappy and to the point. There’s fun gunfights and lots of male bonding over discussions of shooting people. The two characters aren’t close to being perfect, and are always interesting while they try and find their way in the old West....more

The characters in Resolution would be familiar to those who either read the novel Apaloosa or saw the movie. Hitch and Cole are two gunmen who have worked as lawmen. Hitch has wandered on (following the events of Apaloosa, which I will not recount here) and settles in the small town of Resolution. He takes a job as a gunman for the saloon owner and quickly becomes the hero of the town. Soon, however, he sees that a conflict is brewing between the saloon owner, a number of ranchers, a mine owner,The characters in Resolution would be familiar to those who either read the novel Apaloosa or saw the movie. Hitch and Cole are two gunmen who have worked as lawmen. Hitch has wandered on (following the events of Apaloosa, which I will not recount here) and settles in the small town of Resolution. He takes a job as a gunman for the saloon owner and quickly becomes the hero of the town. Soon, however, he sees that a conflict is brewing between the saloon owner, a number of ranchers, a mine owner, and a lumber camp. Cole drifts in the and the trouble gradually grows--

Characterization is not rich as all of the gunmen in this story are quiet and soft-spoken. Parker's works are dialogue driven interspersed with violence and gunplay. Parker manages to build the suspense of the novel forward, but once in awhile I got the feeling that Hitch and Cole were perfect-- they seem to always know what the bad guys are going to do.

One major gripe.. is the language. Even the roughest folks didn't toss the "F" word around so nonchalantly. Parker overuses this word which diminishes the period feel for me. ...more

I enjoy these books almost the same way I enjoy the "Chet and Bernie" mysteries -- not so much for the stories themselves, as for the pleasure of just spending more time listening into the two lead characters, in this case Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. They have a nice "Butch & Sundance" kind of relationship, which in this book was enhanced by their rather complex (and therefore interesting) relationship with fellow gunfighters/competitors Cato and Rose, (who almost merit their own story).

TI enjoy these books almost the same way I enjoy the "Chet and Bernie" mysteries -- not so much for the stories themselves, as for the pleasure of just spending more time listening into the two lead characters, in this case Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch. They have a nice "Butch & Sundance" kind of relationship, which in this book was enhanced by their rather complex (and therefore interesting) relationship with fellow gunfighters/competitors Cato and Rose, (who almost merit their own story).

The stories are (I have to believe) intentionally low-key and laconic -- not a lot really goes on, compared to the amount of action and plot crammed into most contemporary fiction -- which really helps get you into the feel and the rhythm of the Old West. I've noticed that several other reviewers complained about the frequent use of "he said," "I said;" but listening to this on CD, I found the rhythm almost soothing and also somewhat reflective of the low-key tone of the whole story. If you're looking for an action-packed shoot-em-up, keep looking. But if you want what is probably a more realistic take on the slow, boring pace of life in the Old West -- punctuated by frequent bursts of guilt-free violence -- then this is a pretty enjoyable read.

I just couldn't go 5 stars for this one, like I did its predecessor. I don't mean in anyway that it was bad, and as far as westerns go I found it more enjoyable than most. I imagine that due to my impresion of seeing little charcter development (although the characters are likeable enough) from the first book to this one, that it would do well as a stand alone read and if you have not read the first you probably won't be lost except by the few refrences to Appaloosa (If I spelled it right?).

HitcI just couldn't go 5 stars for this one, like I did its predecessor. I don't mean in anyway that it was bad, and as far as westerns go I found it more enjoyable than most. I imagine that due to my impresion of seeing little charcter development (although the characters are likeable enough) from the first book to this one, that it would do well as a stand alone read and if you have not read the first you probably won't be lost except by the few refrences to Appaloosa (If I spelled it right?).

Hitch seems to become more of the primary character than Cole in this one, although they still seem to me an enjoyable tandem. I liked the addition of Cato and Rose and their partnership with Hitch and Cole. Once again the plot/story line is not really anything that original, but the story and action seemed to still flow nicely for me.

if I had any major complaints it would be the excessive profanity....I really don't need to read the F word that many times....is it worse to be F'n stupid than merely stupid???? Oh well, I am sure that it is just me again!

I was slightly disappointed by Hitch's work relationship. It started OK providing protection for a buisiness owner, and many of the citizens of the town who could not fend for themselves...but when his boss became more ruthless than any of his percieved enimies, I couldn't figure out why they stayed on as long as they did. In the end it came out well, but it didn't resonate with me for about 50 pages or so.

Once again a cool read that I would recommend not only to western fans, but to people who avoid them...if you avoid them..like I do/did, this is a cool one IMHO!~...more

I read this book (Resolution) in under 10 hours, with lots of breaks and rest included ( I mean a lot) and lots of omitted boring lines. This book was goooooodddddddd. Because the main character Hitch Everett was bad ass. He worked as a resolution which was like the bouncer in a club. But this dude was crazy good, he learned from Virgil Cole a famous gun man ( I'm not sure if he's considered a legend though because it never said anything like that, but I'm sure he was a good marksman). He belie I read this book (Resolution) in under 10 hours, with lots of breaks and rest included ( I mean a lot) and lots of omitted boring lines. This book was goooooodddddddd. Because the main character Hitch Everett was bad ass. He worked as a resolution which was like the bouncer in a club. But this dude was crazy good, he learned from Virgil Cole a famous gun man ( I'm not sure if he's considered a legend though because it never said anything like that, but I'm sure he was a good marksman). He believed that you should kill one guy that you know that will be a trouble maker, to save two to three people later. He doesn't like killing like a serial killer or anything, but he does what he needs to do to do his job right. He was crazy, the first week on the job, he killed the toughest mother f****er in town. He shot a guy with his eight gage shotgun and cut off the dudes hand ( the other guys name was Wickman by the way). Then finished him off, all this happened inside the bar where he works. This book has lots of conversation and lots of " I said" which was a little annoying but the conversation made me more interested in it, I feel like I'm watching it on T.V. "Wickman works for the copper mine, I said. Yep. Why does a copper mine need a gunny I said" ( chapter 4 pg 13). "We got four fighters, Virgil said. We got hundred men I said. And four fighters, Virgil said. So we head back to town and keep the people safe I said" (Chapter 49 pg 191). I recommend this book to the people who likes a lot of action, western style stuff and who likes bad ass characters. ...more

This sequel to Appaloosa is every bit as well done as its predecessor.

Everett Hitch, the narrator, has left Appaloosa without his partner Virgil Cole. He rides into the town of Resolution and is hired by a saloon owner, Mr. Wolfson, to keep peace in the saloon.

Resolution has no sheriff or other government. Four groups are struglling with one another, Wolfson, the townie, Eamon O'Malley, a mine owner, Fritz Stark who owns and manages a lumbering operation and sawmill and a group of homesteaders,This sequel to Appaloosa is every bit as well done as its predecessor.

Everett Hitch, the narrator, has left Appaloosa without his partner Virgil Cole. He rides into the town of Resolution and is hired by a saloon owner, Mr. Wolfson, to keep peace in the saloon.

Resolution has no sheriff or other government. Four groups are struglling with one another, Wolfson, the townie, Eamon O'Malley, a mine owner, Fritz Stark who owns and manages a lumbering operation and sawmill and a group of homesteaders, led by Bob Redmond, who live in the valley.

The story moves along very quickly, especially when Cato and Rose, two well known gunfighters are hired by O'Malley and Virgil Cole arrives to hang out with his friend Hitch.

As you might guess there is a great deal of conflict and bloodshed which eventually gets itself all sorted out.

Parker's style of driving the plot almost solely with dialogue makes the book a very fast read - less than a day for me. He does not provide much exposition but it's not really necessary because the dialogue tersely describes the situation with the help of the reader's imagination to fill in the gaps.

While I've not always enjoyed Western novels, I love what Parker has done in these two books. Another one is on the way titled Brimstone. I can hardly wait....more

After a confrontation in Appaloosa, Everett Hitch heads into the afternoon sun and ends up in Resolution, an Old West town so new the dust has yet to settle, the kind of town that doesn't have much in the way of commerce - a handful of saloons and some houses of ill repute. Hitch takes a job as lookout at Amos Wolfson's Blackfoot Saloon and quickly establishes his position as protector of the ladies who work the backrooms as well as a man unafraid to stand up to the enforcer sent down from the OAfter a confrontation in Appaloosa, Everett Hitch heads into the afternoon sun and ends up in Resolution, an Old West town so new the dust has yet to settle, the kind of town that doesn't have much in the way of commerce - a handful of saloons and some houses of ill repute. Hitch takes a job as lookout at Amos Wolfson's Blackfoot Saloon and quickly establishes his position as protector of the ladies who work the backrooms as well as a man unafraid to stand up to the enforcer sent down from the O'Malley copper mine.

Though Hitch makes short work of hired gun Koy Wickman, tensions continue to mount, so that even the self-assured Hitch is relieved by the arrival in town of his friend Virgil Cole. When greedy mine owner Eamon O'Malley threatens the loose coalition of local ranchers and starts buying up Resolution's few businesses, Hitch and Cole find themselves in the middle of a makeshift war between O'Malley's men and the ranchers.

The book is a Spenser story set in a different time and place. Hitch & Cole are Spenser and Hawk. The dialogue is the same, the theme is the same. This story seems longer than the Spenser stories, making it a little tedious....more

First Sentence: I was in the Blackfoot Saloon in a town called Resolution, talking with the man who owned the saloon about a job.

The town of Resolution is just taking root and has many things, but no law. Everett Hitch is hired by Amos Wolfson to keep the peace in his saloon. Hitch is soon joined by his friend Everett Cole, a renown fast gun.

It isn’t long before the trouble starts. Eamon O’Malley decides to compete with Wolfson and brings in guns of his own. Everyone tries to hire Everett and CFirst Sentence: I was in the Blackfoot Saloon in a town called Resolution, talking with the man who owned the saloon about a job.

The town of Resolution is just taking root and has many things, but no law. Everett Hitch is hired by Amos Wolfson to keep the peace in his saloon. Hitch is soon joined by his friend Everett Cole, a renown fast gun.

It isn’t long before the trouble starts. Eamon O’Malley decides to compete with Wolfson and brings in guns of his own. Everyone tries to hire Everett and Cole away, including the settlers trying to protect losing their land to the company store.

I’m not much of a Western fan, but I am a fan of Parker. All those elements at which he excels are in evidence, regardless of the time period.

Parker plays on the eternal themes of justice, honor, loyalty and friendship. He is an expert at crisp, tight dialogue and fast-paced stories with very good suspense and violence that is never gratuitous. He creates strong characters in both his men and women, and makes them come to life.

I am never bored with a Parker book and never tire of reading him. The Old West has a new fan.

Resolution is the sequel to Parker's Appaloosa (the latter was recently made into a film featuring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Renee Zellweger). I can't dispute the people who say that Parker is repeating himself and his themes - how many times have we read a conversation between Parker characters wherein tough guys who live by their own "simple" code of honor discuss said code, or try to explain it to someone on the outside of their world? More times than I can count. Essentially, all he'sResolution is the sequel to Parker's Appaloosa (the latter was recently made into a film featuring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Renee Zellweger). I can't dispute the people who say that Parker is repeating himself and his themes - how many times have we read a conversation between Parker characters wherein tough guys who live by their own "simple" code of honor discuss said code, or try to explain it to someone on the outside of their world? More times than I can count. Essentially, all he's done with this new series is change the setting around said tough guys. Instead of New England private eyes/cops/hired guns, we're dealing with Old West lawmen/hired guns.

That being said, I still find most of Parker's books quick, enjoyable reads - and this one was no exception. I preferred the first half of the book, which follows the solo Everett Hitch as he sets up in a town called Resolution, because I find Virgil comparatively uninteresting.

I'm holding out hope for a prequel that takes us back to Hitch's military days....more

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also produced.Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database named Robert B. Parker.Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also produced. His works incorporate encyclopedic knowledge of the Boston metropolitan area. Parker was 77 when he died of a heart attack at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts; discovered at his desk by his wife Joan, he had been working on a novel. The Spenser novels have been cited by critics and bestselling authors such as Robert Crais, Harlan Coben and Dennis Lehane as not only influencing their own work but reviving and changing the detective genre.Robert B. Parker was one of contemporary fiction's most popular and respected detective writers. Best known for his portrayal of the tough but erudite investigator Spenser, Parker wrote over twenty-five novels over the course of his career, which began in 1973. Parker's acclaim and his thorough background in classic detective literature helped earn him the somewhat unusual commission of completing a Philip Marlowe novel that the great Raymond Chandler had left unfinished.

Promised Land and the other Spenser novels spawned the movie Spenser: For Hire and a string of made-for-TV movies.

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

From classic book to classic film, RosettaBooks has gathered some of most memorable books into film available. The selection is broad ranging and far reaching, with books from classic genre to cult classic to science fiction and horror and a blend of the two creating whole new genres like Richard Matheson's The Shrinking Man. Classic works from Vonnegut, one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, meet with E.M. Forster’s A Passage to India. Whether the work is centered in the here and now, in the past, or in some distant and almost unimaginable future, each work is lasting and memorable and award-winning....more